Open AccessEffect of Water Stress on the Reduction of Nitrate and Nitrite by Soybean Nodules
Author(s) -
Chung-Li Chen,
Jih Min Sung
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
plant physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.554
H-Index - 312
eISSN - 1532-2548
pISSN - 0032-0889
DOI - 10.1104/pp.73.4.1065
Subject(s) - nitrate reductase , nitrate , nitrite , nitrite reductase , cytosol , nodule (geology) , glycine , leghemoglobin , biochemistry , enzyme , chemistry , root nodule , biology , nitrogen , nitrogen fixation , amino acid , paleontology , organic chemistry
The effects of water stress on nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase activities in symbiotic nodules were examined in field-grown soybean plants (Glycine max L Merr. cv Clark). The in vitro assays of enzyme activity indicated that the nodule cytosol and bacteroids contained both nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase activities. The reduction of nitrate in bacteroids increased significantly as nodule water potential declined from -0.6 to -1.4 megapascals, and then decreased when -1.8 megapascals water potential was reached. On the contrary, the reduction of nitrate in nodule cytosol was inhibited as water stress progressed. Increases in water stress intensity also caused a significant inhibition in nitrite reductase activities of bacteroids and nodule cytosol within soybean nodules. The results show that nitrate reduction occurred both in the cytosol and bacteroids of water-stressed soybean nodules. The reduction of nitrate functioned at different physiological modes in these two fractions.